Artificial fuel and method of making same



Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

MICHAEL F. MAGINNIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ARTIFICIAL FUEL AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME. v

No Drawing.

My invention relates to an artificial fuel and method of making thesame.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved method of formingfuel, such as briquettes or ribbon form, and a further object is toprovide a fuel of a composition which will quickly harden Withoutbaking; which will not absorb moisture or be in any Way affected byclimatic or atmospheric conditions, and which will be practicallysmokeless \vhile burning and Which will be literally entirely consumedand leave but a small percentage of ash or residue.

The invention consists of the combination of the various ingredientshereinafter set forth and claimed and in the methodof combining thesame.

In producing a fuel briquette I take 1 thousand pounds of bituminouscoal culm or dust and from 600 to 1,000 pounds of coxe breeze in finegranular form (or these may be part powdered to give a smooth appearanceto the outer surface of the formed briquette) starch, about pounds;glue, about 6 or 7 pounds, and water about 15 or 16 gallons, and alum(aluminum sulphate), about (3 or 7 pounds in solution.

The coal dust or culm and coke breeze are first heated to about 280 to300 and thoroughly mixed in a suitable mixer and then I add thereto themixture of starch, glue and. Water and the Whole is heated and mixed forabout one and one-half minutes. After this the alum is dissolved inabout 6 or 7 gallons of hot Water and this hot alum solution is added tothe mixture of coal dust, coke breeze, starch and glue, with which itcht-nnically unites. The resultant compound will be practicallyWaterproof after it has been mixed for about one and a half minutes.

After being thus .i'nixed and heated the mass is ready for use and maybe molded in the form of briquettes. and in ribbon form, if desired. Arun on a conveyor about two hundred feet in length will render theproduct hard enough to be put in coal pool:- ets, cars or carts forimmediate use, if desired.

The product requires no baking, for the reason that the in redientsemployed with the carbonaceous mixture form a perfect binder, thusobviating the time, labor and cost of baking; this being due to thesmall percentage of moisture remaining in the finished product.

Application filed. September 25, 1926. Serial No. 137,815. W

A briquette formed from the above described mass will burn readilyWithout disintegrating orclinkering and emits little or no smoke and maybe handled roughly Without breaking.

An important result of the process I find to be the Waterproofing of thestarch used, which would not be the case were all of the ingredientsheated and mixed at one time instead of in the manner stated.

The coke breeze being cellular, and mixed with bituminous coal dust,Will, when being consumed, act as a filter for the volatile gases, andacts to divide the gases produced by combustion and so preventdisintegration oi the briquette or the like.

Moreover, the porous nature of the coke renders the action of the bindermore certain so that the briquette will burn as Well as lump anthracite.

The proportion above stated will, of course, vary some according to thecharacter of the coal dust and coke dust employed.

This product is intended to take the place of anthracite coal, since itburns equally as well.

What I claim is:

l. The herein described process of forming artificial fuel whichconsists in heating and mixing a mass of powdered or granular bituminouscoal, and finely divided coke. then mixing therewith a hot solution ofstarch and glue and then adding a hot alum solution.

2. The herein described process of form ing artificial fuel whichconsists in heating and mixing together about one thousand pounds ofbituminous coal dust or culm with from six hundred to one thousandpounds of coke breeze, then mixing therewith a solution formed of aboutfifteen pounds of starch, six or seven pounds of glue, and about fifteenor sixteen gallons of Water, and finally adding to the mass six or sevenpounds of alum (aluminum sulphate) in solution and thoroughly mixing theWhole.

3. A composition for artificial fuel formed of bituminous coal cuhn ordust, coke breeze, starch, glue and alum mixed and treated insubstantially the manner and proportions set forth.

In testimony whereof I my signature.

MICHAEL F. MAGINNIS.

